An Ounce Of Humanity Or A Rush To Judgement?

Eutisha Rennix

On December 9th in downtown Brooklyn NY, two Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), Jason Green and Melissa Jackson, were in an Au Bon Pain when Eutisha Rennix, who was 25 years old and an employee of the establishment, collapsed and later died. Several witnesses have said that the EMTs told others workers in the store to call 911 and then left when they were asked to help the woman, who was also the mother of a 3 year old son and expecting her second child. A Long Island College Hospital emergency crew arrived minutes later but did not have the equipment to revive Eutisha.

The two off-duty EMTs were on a "coffee break" at the time of the incident and Douglas Rosenthal, an attorney for the pair, said in a statement that they acted "appropriately to the best of their abilities" but he declined to speak more specifically about the situation. Attorney Rosenthal pushed back against what he called a "rush to judgment" that has vilified his clients. The EMTs were suspended without pay and the Brooklyn district attorney has opened a criminal investigation into the case. State health officials are also investigating along with the city's fire department, which oversees EMTs.

Eutisha had complained of feeling dizzy before collapsing in the rear of the Au Bon Pain store where she worked, according to a person who saw it happen. The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly, spoke on the condition of anonymity. The EMTs, Green and Jackson, were in the front of the store placing their order, the person said. The witness never saw them go into the back where Eutisha was before they left the premises. The witness said Eutisha, who was 6 months pregnant, was also an asthma sufferer. She died and her baby, due to be born in March, was too premature to survive and also died two hours later.

Green, who is 32 years old and a 6-year veteran, and Jackson, who is 23 years old and a 4-year veteran, are both fully trained EMTs. Robert Ungar, a spokesman for the EMTs and Paramedics Union said that all dispatchers are required to be field-trained EMTs or paramedics in order to be more effective at their jobs, and they are capable of getting involved in emergency situations. He said, "All of our members are qualified to make that initial assessment and in some cases, start medical care. Being dispatchers is not a defense for inaction. A FDNY spokesman said all members take an oath to help others whenever emergency medical care is needed.

The certification program for EMTs is overseen by the state Department of Health. In order to complete the program, people must take a 120-hour course, plus put in 10 hours of clinical time. Ungar said the city's EMTs must also pass training from the Fire Department in addition to their state-regulated training. They also have to pass an exam and must be recertified periodically. Jeffrey Hammond, a department spokesman, said... "The charges are appalling and the department is vigorously investigating both EMTs." Frank Dwyer, a spokesman for the New York Fire Department, said that the department has suspended Green and Jackson without pay. Another department spokesman, Steve Ritea, said that although the two worked as dispatchers, they had been trained as emergency medical technicians.

However, Jeff Samerson, EMTs and Paramedics Union exec said that the EMTs followed protocol. He said, “Jackson actually did call 911 for help. She didn’t have an ambulance. She didn’t have equipment. She does not work in the field as an active EMT in an ambulance. She works as an emergency medical dispatcher. Green is also a dispatcher. These are people that are not in the field, that have not had patient contact in years. And, they did the best they could." Still, even Samerson had to concede, "They could have acted better."

In addition, another unidentified source within the union said, "If the charges are true, why should we go out on a limb to defend these two and hurt our own good reputation?" One EMT who did not wish to be identified said the paramedic community is disgusted by the alleged inaction by Green and Jackson. The Long Island College Hospital emergency crew is also being investigated.

When asked if this was a case of burn out in the department, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, "Their actions were unacceptable no matter what the circumstance. Burn out? They were sitting there having coffee, how can they be burnt out? They’re human beings. Somebody’s dying down the street and you say help them, and they just sat there. There’s no excuse whatsoever, as far as I can see. I don’t know what kind of burn out you can have."

Eutisha with twin brother, Eudane

The victim's brother, Eudane Rennix, was overseas serving in the U.S. Army in Kuwait when he received the call about his sister's death. He came home on emergency leave and that is when, he said, the family broke down together. He said, "If this is your job, why wouldn't you want to help someone in need? There's no excuse whatsoever."

Cynthia Rennix, mother of the deceased, feels the EMTs were inhumane, heartless, and non-caring. She hopes that her daughter's tragedy will prompt the city of New York to implement some sort of training or classes to ensure that a situation like this won't happen again. She felt that they shouldn't have taken those jobs if they weren't willing to get involved in emergency situations. Further, she said... "If they were really caring and concerned, they would have taken a minute to see if there was something they could have done to help her in some way."

Cynthia also stated that she didn't know the cause of her daughter's death and numerous phone calls to the hospital where her daughter died were not returned right away. Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner, said that an autopsy was not performed because the death wasn't part of a crime scene. Borakove said an autopsy would only be performed if the family requested it. Since that time, it has been reported that the cause of Eutisha's death was cardiac arrest. Cynthia said that she has yet to decide whether or not she is going to take any legal action. At present, she is taking care of her daughter's 3 year old son.